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The Best Episodes of The Paper Season 1

Every episode of The Paper Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Paper Season 1!

Binge this in 4h 57m•Peaking at 8.1/10

The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the eager publisher trying to revive it.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Paper Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    6.6/10(1508 votes)

    #1 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    A documentary crew discovers a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it.

    Director:Greg Daniels
    Writers:Greg Daniels, Michael Koman

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  2. The Paper Season 1 Episode 2 - The Five W's
    6.8/10(1129 votes)

    #2 - The Five W's

    S1:E2

    Ned starts slowly with his volunteer crew until Esmeralda forces them to scramble for stories.

    Director:Ken Kwapis
    Writers:Greg Daniels, Michael Koman

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  3. The Paper Season 1 Episode 3 - Buddy and the Dude
    7.1/10(956 votes)

    #3 - Buddy and the Dude

    S1:E3

    Ned tags along on Mare's consumer sting story after Esmeralda gets in his head.

    Director:Yana Gorskaya
    Writers:Patrick Kang, Michael Levin

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  4. The Paper Season 1 Episode 4 - TTT vs the Blogger
    7.1/10(860 votes)

    #4 - TTT vs the Blogger

    S1:E4

    Ned and Esmeralda go against a high school blog; Mare and Oscar cover a teacher's last production.

    Director:Paul Lieberstein
    Writer:Amanda Rosenberg

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  5. The Paper Season 1 Episode 5 - Scam Alert!
    7.4/10(874 votes)

    #5 - Scam Alert!

    S1:E5

    Ned chases a story about a scammer operating through a dating app and learns Esmeralda was a victim.

    Director:Tazbah Chavez
    Writer:Mo Welch

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  6. The Paper Season 1 Episode 6 - Churnalism
    7.4/10(801 votes)

    #6 - Churnalism

    S1:E6

    Ned takes over Esmeralda's advertorials and assigns the staff to test products themselves.

    Director:Jason Woliner
    Writer:Eric Rahill

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    The 20 BEST Episodes of The Paper

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  7. The Paper Season 1 Episode 7 - I Love You
    7.2/10(766 votes)

    #7 - I Love You

    S1:E7

    With Marv camped out in the newsroom, the staff's unresolved attitudes toward authority bubble up.

    Director:Jennifer Celotta
    Writer:Alex Edelman

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  8. The Paper Season 1 Episode 8 - Church and State
    7.4/10(729 votes)

    #8 - Church and State

    S1:E8

    Mare uncovers a story that pits the Truth Teller against its owner; Ned is embarrassed by his past.

    Director:Matt Sohn
    Writer:Ben Philippe

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  9. The Paper Season 1 Episode 9 - Matching Ponchos
    7.3/10(701 votes)

    #9 - Matching Ponchos

    S1:E9

    Ned and Mare take a long road trip to interview a possible cult leader; Ken goes on an apology tour.

    Director:David Rogers
    Writer:L.E. Correia

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  10. The Paper Season 1 Episode 10 - The Ohio Journalism Awards
    8.1/10(988 votes)

    #10 - The Ohio Journalism Awards

    S1:E10

    Ned stifles his desire to win at the Ohio Journalism Awards; Nicole uncovers Detrick's monogamy.

    Director:Jeffrey Blitz
    Writer:Paul Lieberstein

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "The Paper" season 1. It scored 6.6/10 based on 1508 votes. Directed by Greg Daniels and written by Greg Daniels, Michael Koman, it aired on 9/4/2025. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "The Five W's".